Life-saving and pleasure craft



2 Sheets-Sheet 1. A. B. SHEARER. LIFE SAYING AND PLEASURE CRAFT.

Patented Aug. 23, 1892.

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(No Model.)

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A. B. SHEARER.

LIFE SAVING ANDPLBASURB CRAFT.

No. 481,412?. Patented Aug. 23, 1892.

(7)1. lllllllill UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ARTHUR BENTON SHEARER, OF RENO, NEVADA.

LIFE-SAVING AND PLEASURE CRAFT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 481,427, dated August 23, 1892.

Application filed March 29, 1892. Serial No. 426,989. (No model.)

T0 all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ARTHUR BENTON SHEAR- ER, a citizen of the United States, residing` at Reno, in the county of VVa-shoe, in the State of Nevada, have invented a new and useful Life-Saving and Pleasure Craft Combined, of which the following is a specification.

My invention is composed of three separate and distinct boats, united as in Figure l and propelled by an electric motor. It can be operated from the shore or deck of a vessel.

Fig. 1 is a plan view, and Fig. 2 a side view, of myimproved craft. Fig. Sis an edge view of a cap or cover for each boat. Fig. 4. is a plan view of one of the boats, the cover being removed. Fig. 5 is a side view of the central boat of the three. Fig. 6 is a rear end view, enlarged, of one of the boats. Fig. 7 is a diagram in plan illustrating the arrangement and connection of thebatteries, motors, and switchboard. Figs. 8 and 9 are views illustrating the connection of the shore cable.

Each boat has a copper bottom, an air and water tight cover` Fig. 3, which constitutes its deck, and a series of crosspartitions, Fig. 4, that divide its interior into a series of independent air-chambers c c. Should one of these air-chambers be punctured, the others will preserve the buoyancy of the craft.

In the rear of each boat is the motor m and at the stern a propeller p.

Boats are joined together, as in Fig. l, with strong braces and covered with steel mesh s m, forming a platform for passengers. A row of seats s, with straps buckled across them, is arranged on center boat in front of operators seat. Knotted ropes are suspended from iron railing o", which is all around platform to enable drowning persons to pull themselves upon craft. The craft cannot be swamped by heavy seas, as platform is open and water will pass through. Upon the rear end of center boat (which is larger than the other two) is the operators seat c 71,. In front of it is a switchboard and under it a reel of cable wires run from switch to storage-battery, then to motors, then to copper bottom of two outside boat-s, and through water to earth. Vhen craft is managed by operator on board, the reel and cable are cut out at switchboard and all three 'motors are operated at his will, one separate from the other. This gives him the means of guiding the craft. When it is necessary to turn to the left, the center and righthand motor will be stopped, and vice versa. This also holds good when governed from shore. Then craft is governed from the shore or deck of vessel, the two outside motors only are used and the cable is unreeled as craft advances and is controlled from a switchboard on shore.

The crafts can be made of any desirable length. Those used for pleasure will be small and will have only one seat made in some fanciful shape for the operator. The advantages of this craftover the common life-boat are that, being run by electricity, it will travel very rapidly and can go successfully and without danger into the roughest of seas with or without any one accompanying it, thereby doing away with the whole crew necessary to man the ordinary life-boat.

I do not claim to be the first to make a water-craft composed of three boats or hulls which are rigidly connected, for I am well aware this is not new. Nor am I the first to apply electricity for boat propulsion, nor to guide a boat from shore by electrical agency.

What I claim as new isl. The combination, with the three boats arranged parallel, but separated and rigidly connected, as specified, of batteries and inotors arranged in pairs in each boat, a propeller connected with each boat and motor, a switchboard located in the central boat, and a series of conductors which connect each batter-y with the nearest motor and also with said switchboard, as shown and described.

2. The combination, with the three boats arranged parallel, but separated and rigidly connected, as specified, of batteries and motors arranged in pairs in each boat, a propeller connected with each boat and motor, a switchboard located in the central boat, and a series of conductors which connect each battery with the nearest motor and also with said switchboard, a cable-reel located in the central boat and adapted to revolve, a cable wound thereon and connected with the adjacent switchboard and with a shore-switchboard, as shown and described.

ARTHUR BENTON SI-IEARER.

Witnesses:

H. R. CAMPBELL, S. G. COA'rs.

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